What’s Love Got to Do With It?
I want to share something about myself that most Christians might shy away from admitting…
Although I’ve been a Christian for most of my life, I spent many of those years living in fear—stressed out, unsure, and constantly questioning whether my relationship with God was “right” enough. Yes, I spoke all the Christian jargon, served faithfully in church until I was nearly worn out, and tried my hardest to be a “good” Christian. I wanted God to be proud of me and bless me. But deep down, I carried a nagging feeling that I wasn’t enough—that maybe God didn’t love me as much as He loved others.
I know what you might be thinking: “How could you feel that way, Michele? You’ve been a Christian most of your life—surely you knew God loves you!”
Let me explain. For a long time, I believed God’s love for me was like human love—conditional on my behavior and works. And here’s the shocking part: as I’ve opened up about this, so many other Christians have told me they feel exactly the same way!
This world teaches us that we must earn our blessings. Want good grades in school? Study for hours. Want a promotion at work? Work harder than everyone else. Want a successful business? Sacrifice everything.
Unfortunately, I believe many churches have taught us the same principle: If you want God to bless you, you must obey His laws. And if you don’t? You’re left to fail.
But let’s pause and ask: Does that sound like the love of God? That might sound like phileo love—conditional, human love—but that’s not the agape love of our Heavenly Father!
One of my biggest frustrations is hearing statements like, “She’s such a good Christian—she loves the Lord so much!” or “You need to show God how much you love Him!” But here’s the truth: it’s not my love for God that saved me; it’s His love for me!
As 1 John 4:10 says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
For years, I wasn’t sure God loved me completely because I was too busy trying to prove my love for Him. I thought I had to convince God that I deserved His goodness and favor. But in doing so, I was actually working against His love and grace.
Now I understand there’s absolutely nothing I can do to earn His favor, blessings, or goodness. Any attempt to earn these things undermines what Jesus accomplished on the cross.
God’s love for us is pure and complete. He’s not an angry parent punishing us to “teach us a lesson.” He doesn’t withhold blessings when we make mistakes or discipline us in a cause-and-effect human way. Even God’s discipline is for our own good and bears blessings in our lives.
Consider this powerful verse:
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,
because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)
If you, like me, sometimes feel fear creeping into your life, ask yourself this: “Am I 100% sure that God loves me completely?” If you’re honest, the answer might be “no.”
But here’s the good news: You can ask God to reveal His love to you through Jesus. God’s love is bigger than we can fully comprehend, so as long as we’re in these earthly bodies, understanding God’s love will be a daily journey. However, the more we understand that God’s love for us is greater than our love for Him, the more freedom we’ll walk in every day. So, what’s love got to do with it? Everything.
